River Chen took this photo last June. She was eating cherries one afternoon, and when she looked in the mirror, she found that the cherry and its juice would make nice props for a photoshoot.

“I set up my tripod and camera, took this shot together with some other photographs -which are still sitting on my laptop, untouched. I was actually inspired by what happens when girls give away their virginity. It is a painful but sweet experience. You will bleed, but it is something nice and meaningful. Just like the cherry I am biting in the photograph … the taste is sweet, but there is a bloody tear running down my face.”

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

River Chen was born in China in 1989, and moved to Singapore with her mother when she was fourteen.

“I ‘ve been fascinated by drawings and visual arts ever since I was a little girl. I got my first camera late 2006 but only kind of picked up photography as a hobby late 2007. I think I will take photos for as long as I live. The same goes for drawing and painting.”